1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a wireless communications system having a mobile communications network, a portable terminal, etc.
2. Description of the Related Art
In a wireless communications system, there has been the problem that a portable terminal device and its data are illegally copied for use in communications, that is, the problem of a clone terminal, etc.
Generally, a method for preventing illegal communications using a clone terminal can be 1) a method of communicating by an authenticating system of preventing communications from a clone terminal, 2) a method of detecting illegal communications using a clone terminal by comparing information during the communications by a network of wireless communications provided with specific information (for example, final position information, communications frequency, etc.) and a portable terminal, and 3) a method of searching for a clone terminal in a network of the wireless communications.
A method for communications by an authenticating system of preventing communications using a clone terminal is disclosed by, for example, Japanese Patent Laid-open Publication No. Hei 10-164656 describing a method of generating a new authentication key according to an authentication key assigned in advance and the history information about the past use status of a portable terminal, and changing the authentication key for each call. Japanese Patent Laid-open Publication No. 2003-534747 discloses a method of using a currently valid identifier for communications between devices by determining a set of secret identifiers known only by the base station for identification and authentication in controlling the communications between a common carrier and a cellular telephone, and using these secret identifiers. Japanese Patent Laid-open Publication No. Hei 10-336744 discloses a method of authenticating an authorized subscriber by a mobile station selecting an encrypted key number from among a plurality of encrypted key numbers of the mobile station at an instruction of a base station using a first random number, and transmitting the selected encrypted key number to the base station together with a second random number indicating the encryption key, and the base station comparing the encryption key specified by the base station using the first random number with the encryption key specified by the mobile station using the second random number, and authenticating the subscriber only when a matching result is obtained.
A method for detecting illegal communications using a clone terminal, etc. by a network of a wireless communications and a portable terminal provided with specific information comparing the information during communications is discloses by the following patent literature. For example, Japanese Patent Laid-open Publication No. Hei 08-336183 disclosed a method of comparing the communications frequency stored in a terminal and a center during communications before starting conversation, determining a terminal indicating a non-matching result as a clone terminal, and rejecting communications after determining the clone terminal. Japanese Patent Laid-open Publication No. Hei09-322251 discloses a method of storing last received telephone number, etc. as information together with position information about a mobile terminal, comparing the information stored in the subscriber data memory with the information stored in the memory of the mobile terminal during registering position information or issuing a call, and determining a clone terminal when a non-matching result is obtained. Japanese Patent Laid-open Publication No. Hei 10-191457 discloses a method of storing a communications history specific to the communications in the non-volatile memory of both mobile unit and base station when the mobile unit and the base station enter communications, etc., comparing the communications histories of both mobile unit and base station, and determining the presence of an unauthorized mobile terminal. Japanese Patent Laid-open Publication No. Hei 10-304444 discloses a method of storing the use time, etc. of the previous call of the database switching unit connected to a mobile terminal and a mobile communications switching node, the mobile communications switching node comparing the use time or the use period in the respective previous calls when the mobile terminal makes a call, and authenticating the mobile terminal when a matching result is obtained. Japanese Patent Laid-open Publication No. 2000-354272 discloses a method of providing a call record unit for a mobile terminal, transmitting call data recorded in the mobile terminal to a call data processing device provided for a mobile communications system, the call data processing device comparing the call data of the mobile communications system stored in a home location register with the transmitted call data of the mobile terminal, and determining an unauthorized mobile terminal and rejecting it. Japanese Patent Laid-open Publication No. 2001-320764 discloses status information stored in a portable communications terminal and a switching node, a terminal status information update device for updating the status information stored in the portable communications terminal based on a communications time, a switching node status information update device for updating status information stored in the switching node based on a communications time, and an authentication device for determining whether or not communications are to be permitted according to the status information stored in the portable communications terminal and the status information stored in the switching node.
The method for searching for a clone terminal in the network for wireless communications is disclosed by the following patent literature. For example, Japanese Patent Laid-open Publication No. Hei 07-046661 discloses a method of detecting the presence of a clone by transmitting a call connection request by a mobile station having the same identification number as a mobile station having a specific identification number, and further anticipating the presence of a clone according to the position and the time information at the previous call connection request, and based on the calculation result of the moving speed of a mobile station according to the position information and the time information at the current call connection request. Japanese Patent Laid-open Publication No. Hei 09-116957 discloses the invention relating to a fraud prevention apparatus including a central database capable of storing use threshold data of a wireless communications subscriber, with the use threshold data being configured by, for example, call hold time data, call frequency data, exclusive geographic position data, and an arbitrary combination of any of them, and a corresponding processor automatically performing the termination of a wireless service when calling a corresponding subscriber and detecting unauthorized use if a illegal action is detected. Japanese Patent Laid-open Publication No. Hei 09-163447 disclosed the invention of checking mobile station designation information, obtained by a mobile station designation unit in a call processing unit, from a mobile station by a mobile station authentication check unit, determining the correctness of the mobile station based on a check result, and switching the call connection of the mobile station to a base station management terminal by a call connection switching unit controlled by a call processing unit when the mobile station is not authenticated. Japanese Patent Laid-open Publication No. 2000-18444 discloses the invention of regarding that only the base station information last position registered remains regardless of an authenticated mobile terminal or a clone terminal when position registration is performed for report to a system where the mobile terminal is located for use in a call receiving process by a mobile terminal, and when there are a plurality of mobile terminals having the same phone numbers, and comparing the position registration information with the calling base station information . Japanese Patent Laid-open Publication No. 2001-025067 discloses the invention of comprising a PHS switch device for determining whether or not the area number of a base station in an area of a calling mobile terminal matches the position registration area number based on the terminal number of the calling mobile terminal when there is a call from the mobile terminal having the same terminal number as an authorized mobile terminal and authentication information, and a PS terminal data management device for notifying a maintainer of the possibility of illegal use of the calling mobile terminal as a clone terminal when the determination indicates a non-matching result. Japanese Patent Laid-open Publication No. 2002-247654 discloses the method of detecting an unauthorized use as a secondary index of a unauthorized use about the data relating to an unsuccessful authenticating process on an access type, an authentication retrial, a server address, etc. in a mobile communications network of the third generation.
A well-known publication for detecting a clone on the user side can be, for example, Japanese Patent Laid-open Publication No. Hei 11-075265 which discloses a method of storing data for recognizing first wireless access using a subscriber account in a database, and transferring stored data for recognition of the first access to a wireless device during the second wireless access using the same subscriber account, thereby allowing a subscriber to review the data and determine whether or not the previous access has been authenticated.
In the mechanisms of the above-mentioned well-known technologies, when the possibility of a clone terminal is detected by a switching center and the system, the processes of 1) rejecting a call, 2) forcibly connecting a call to a administrator terminal, 3) notifying a subscriber or a maintainer, 4) prompting to input a password and rejecting the call if a non-matching result is output, and 5) stopping the subsequent services automatically or by a subscriber determination are performed. These mechanisms are those of detecting and stopping a clone performed on the side of a carrier.
Although a subscriber does not commit any fraud, he or she can receive unreasonable treatment such as a call of the subscriber being rejected, forced to be connected to a administrator terminal, forced to be rejected in receiving a service, etc.
A well-known technology of searching for a clone on the user side can be Japanese Patent Laid-open Publication No. Hei 11-075265. However, since previous use information is transmitted from a system each time a subscriber tries access by making a call, etc., it is necessary for the subscriber to confirm the received information. Thus, the operation is a nuisance, and the confirming operation depends on the memory of the user. Therefore, the cloning can be overlooked.
If there is the possibility that a user suffers cloning as a result of an illegal call which has passed through the clone detecting function of the above-mentioned techniques disclosed by the patent literature listed above, and reception of an outrageous bill, then the user has to consult with an organization such as Japan Information Preservation Association which is an NPO, etc. or use the “predetermined amount attainment notification service” and the “rate information service” recommended by a carrier from which a user of a portable terminal receives an outrageous bill so that the user can periodically check the billing statement information to confirm there is no unreasonable billing for the communications not performed by the user.
When suspicious billing statement information is found, it is necessary for a user to confirm whether or not the corresponding terminal was used at the time in problem because the billing statement information contains only the date and time, the communications time, and the communications rate. Therefore, although the terminal was not used at the time in problem, it is necessary to prove that it was not used at the time in problem.
Relating to a suspicious high-value billing, there is another possibility of an accident other than an attack by a clone terminal. That is, there can be the possibility of “wrong memory of a user” (when a user has forgotten about the actual use) or “wrong billing by a carrier”, but a user has no means for determining or proving that the accident has come from wrong memory, wrong billing, or cloning.
There is also the possibility that a user files a lawsuit for a refund of the paid amount from the carrier on a large amount of suspicious packet rate billing. In such a worst case, a user requires laborious action to prepare the definite evidence, file a lawsuit, etc.